American Mumsnetters Help!

[TamiTaylorIsMyParentingGuru]

We used to live in the southern US and when we lived there chocolate advent calendars weren’t a thing. We had friends from the UK mail them to us so our kids could continue their traditions.

Since we returned to the UK we have sent chocolate advent calendars to some friends for their DC and they (apparently) look forward to them every year. I read something (I have no idea where) something recently about someone buying them in the US and now I’m wondering if they are actually more normal there and therefore should I send something else? (They are quite expensive to post because although they weigh nothing, they require quite a large box because of the size of them!)

So - American Mumsnetters - are chocolate advent calendars a regular thing or would they still be a nice treat from abroad if I was to send them?

I’m surprised they weren’t a thing where you lived. I’m 36 and they’ve always been a thing since I was a child growing up in the southern US and later in Canada.

I’d say check on the nearest Walmart from them online (put their zip code in to check their store availability, then search advent calendars and see if chocolate ones are available for same day pick up). That will tell you if they’re popular and well stocked locally.

Amazon USA have some - a bit pricey.

I've lived here for 14 years and where I am (NJ) they started getting popular in the last 3 or 4 I would say. They are everywhere now so I doubt you still need to send them...

I've bought them before in Vermont, they were certainly available although I wouldn't say super common. Maybe depends on the region a bit

Umm, I grew up in the US in the early 80s and 90s (guess where - it was pretty po-dunk). Friends had chocolate Advent calendars then even when I had never seen such a thing since my parents were very old fashioned. Ours always had pictures and a Bible verse for each day. Friend with 2 siblings had an insanely competitive rota for whose turn it was to eat the chocolate each day.

Same, I'm 39, and grew up in Canada and we had them every year.

They are easy enough to buy here now, but you don't get endless aisles of them in the supermarket like you do in the UK. Same with Easter eggs.

Thanks all. They def weren’t a thing 10 years ago in TX. We could have bought them from the local British shop at a pricey £10 (minimum) per calendar for the basic Cadbury ones that were £1 here in the UK at the time, but it was cheaper for friends to mail them to us!

If they are becoming more common now I’ll send something else this year.

(interesting that you say Easter eggs are becoming more common too - large eggs were nowhere to be seen when we lived there and I also mail them to friends every year!)